Sign in

Painting

Thomas Henry Kavanagh (1821–1882), VC, Being Disguised as a Native, Having Volunteered to Guide the Relief Force, Siege of Lucknow, Indian Mutiny, 9 November 1857, Louis William Desanges (1822–1906), National Army Museum

photo credit: National Army Museum

Painting info

Title

Thomas Henry Kavanagh (1821–1882), VC, Being Disguised as a Native, Having Volunteered to Guide the Relief Force, Siege of Lucknow, Indian Mutiny, 9 November 1857

Artist(s)

Louis William Desanges (1822–1906)

Collection

National Army Museum

Date

c.1860

Medium and Support

oil on canvas

Size

74.5 x 91.8 cm

Location

National Army Museum

Acquisition method

gift from Wantage Urban District Council, 1958

Accession number

NAM. 1958-12-48

Private loan

No

Description

The 1900 Catalogue of the Victoria Cross Gallery at Wantage described the incident during the Indian Mutiny (1857–1859) that is depicted here: ‘On the 9th of November, 1857, Mr Kavanagh, then serving under the orders of Lieutenant General Sir James Outram, in Lucknow, volunteered on the dangerous duty of passing through the city to the camp of Sir Colin Campbell, the Commander in Chief – at Alum Bagh – for the purpose of guiding the relieving force to the beleaguered garrison in the Residency, a task which he performed with chivalrous gallantry and devotion’.